Greens Councillor calls for investigation of Newcastle Council

Greens Councillor Therese Doyle today told a NSW Upper House parliamentary Inquiry that she had called for a full investigation of Newcastle Council by the Office of Local Government.

Clr Doyle told the Inquiry, which held hearings at Newcastle City Hall today, that the elected Councillors were systematically excluded from having any input into consultation on the State Environmental Planning Policy Amendment (Newcastle City Centre) 2014, which allows high rise towers to be built in front of the cathedral and in the heritage centre of Newcastle.

“Newcastle City Council has been breaching the purpose and charter of the Local Government Act for some time by its persistent violation of democratic procedures”, Clr Doyle told the Inquiry.

“It’s time to bring democracy back to Newcastle Council as embodied in the Open Government Reform Package co-signed by Lord Mayor-elect Nuatali Nelmes and myself”, declared Clr Doyle. “We need a full investigation of Council’s actions until August 2014”.